Connor Donnithorne, a young Cornish business owner, has called out the leader of Cornwall Council over extortionate senior council pay at County Hall.
In response to a recent Freedom of Information request submitted by Connor, it was confirmed that in the 2019-20 tax year, Cornwall Council paid 29 employees more than £100,000 a year, including expense allowances and pension contributions. This makes Cornwall Council one of the highest paying local authorities anywhere in the South West.
Questioning this use of Cornish taxpayers money with Lawrence Reed on BBC Radio Cornwall, Connor said: “At a time when Cornwall is facing real difficulty because of Covid-19, with lots of businesses being seasonal and the real prospect that people may lose their jobs and struggle to pay rent, how is the leader of Cornwall Council justifying paying such extortionate salaries?”.
The Leader of Cornwall Council, Julian German, responded, saying: “I am content that we have the right management in Cornwall Council… if there are 29 people earning those salaries it is because they are needed”.
Dissatisfied with his response, Connor added:
“It is staggering that Julian German is content with Cornwall Council being one of the highest paying local authorities in the South West, despite being one of the poorest. An uncontrolled, extortionate wage bill for the most senior officers at County Hall is a kick in the teeth to the thousands of Cornish residents who are paying for it through higher council tax bills.”
Connor went further, saying: “Thousands of Cornish businesses have been forced to reign in their spending and tighten their payroll because of Covid-19. It didn’t sound as if the leader even knew how many of his most senior staff earned more than £100,000 a year. It is clear getting value for money is not a priority for this Independent-led administration.”